My Faith Might Be None of Your Facebook Business

Friday

Apr 9, 2010 at 11:48 PM

In a designated category on Facebook profiles, one user stamps "CHRISTMAS!!!!!!" Others list the more conventional "Christian Lutheran." Still another user delves into her imagination to state, "I think we should all just offer libations to Zeus."

By PETER KOLLMANNCOLUMBIA NEWS SERVICE

In a designated category on Facebook profiles, one user stamps "CHRISTMAS!!!!!!" Others list the more conventional "Christian Lutheran." Still another user delves into her imagination to state, "I think we should all just offer libations to Zeus."

Those are three examples of what Facebook's 400 million registered users might put in the Religious Views category toward the top of the info tab, alongside political views, birthdays and relationship status. Since 2004, the year this popular social-networking site began, users have been free to express their religious views or to exclude them.

"I listed Roman Catholic on mine because I am proud of the faith which I profess and think it is important for people to know that I have religious conviction," said Matt Reiman, a 24-year-old student at St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, N.Y. "At a time of much religious ambiguity, I think it is important that people who believe in something strongly make it known in a public way."

Others listed their faith out of a simple desire to complete as much of their profile as possible.

"It was a category offered," said Christina Pride, a 25-year-old Roman Catholic who graduated from the University of Connecticut. "I believe I have a response for every category that is listed, aside from phone number. My listing a response is more because it was being asked by Facebook, not because I wanted to make any statement."

The Rev. Peter Debra, pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Manhattan, said that listing one's religious views has positive and negative effects.

"It's being honest with who you are," Debra said. "Anytime you're willing to make your views known, there are consequences because there will be disagreements. It's all part of the debate in life."

Debra added that listing religious views may not be the best thing for young job hunters who have public profiles, because potential employers can look at them during the interview process. College admissions officers also look at high school seniors' profiles.

David Kosak, associate rabbi at Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, N.Y., omitted the Religious Views category on his profile but is a member of many Jewish online groups. Facebook "falls under individualized free speech," said Kosak. "It's not private speech, because colleges use it in admissions. I see no problem."

Luis Perez, a 39-year-old resident of Rhinebeck, N.Y., chose not to list his faith on Facebook.

"It wasn't so much about not sharing my faith," said Perez, who was Catholic until he was 9, became evangelical during his teenage years and converted to Dutch Reformed in 1995.

"I rarely visit Facebook because I don't have the time to navigate all my electronic accounts. I don't want to come across as a social-network iconoclast."

"I get the feeling that many people simply omit their religious views because they don't want people to know that it is important to them," said Reiman, who also lists Roman Catholic under the Political Views category. "The modern notion of a separation of church and state, of religion from school in particular, has led to a generation of children growing up in an environment in which religion is downplayed. Hence the lack of religious display on Facebook on the part of many young people today."

Some people who have resisted joining Facebook question disclosures of any kind on a social-media site.

"I don't have a problem with Facebook," said a 27-year-old named Mike whose commitment to privacy includes not just avoiding Facebook but also refusing to give his last name. "But people just get obsessed with stuff they put on there. I'd rather just talk face-to-face. To just advertise your views on Facebook, that seems narcissistic and useless."

But Samar Al-zibdeh, a 31-year-old Muslim who lives in New York, said that she listed her faith because it was a category and to establish her identity.

"It is important to me to let the people know that I am Muslim," said Al-zibdeh, who wears a hijab, which many Muslim women wear out of tradition. She is also a fan of many Islamic sites on Facebook. "It is part of my identity."

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